Candles require care throughout burning and when being extinguished to ensure safety and best value for money. They should never be lit and forgotten. Science determines the length and nature of the burn and light.

Our candles are very long-burning when burned correctly.

They need to be burned for at least as long as it takes to melt to the edge. A rough estimate is an hour per inch, or per 2.5cm, of diameter. Therefore, if you have a candle 3 inches in diameter, it will take 3 hours to get to the edge. That candle needs to be burned for at least 3 hours, every time, in order to get the best value for money and to use all the wax.

The wider the candle, the longer it needs to be burned each time. If that candle is only burned for one or two hours, ie not to the edge, it will always only burn within the initial melt. This is often why people are left with so much wax when the candle has burned to the bottom. And why, with a larger candle, you eventually can’t reach down through the created well to light the wick. If you burn it for the recommended minimum time for a week, then burn for an hour, it will burn down the smaller well from that point on. If you don’t burn candles for hours at a time, we recommend you get more smaller candles rather than one large one.

To stop a candle dripping: Always place candle on an appropriately sized holder. Our candles will not drip if proper care is taken, nor will the dinner candles or tapers. The longer the wick gets when burning, the hotter the flame. The hotter the flame, the faster then candle will melt, and the greater likelihood of the candle dripping. Keep the candle wick trimmed throughout burning and out of drafts.

Keep candle trimmed: If the flame is flickering, there is either a draft, or the wick is too long. This will make the candle burn in odd ways, and may cause it to drip.

Regularly, about every half-hour or hour, put out the candle, being careful not to blow wax onto yourself, cut or pinch off the blackened part of the wick, and relight. The wick should never be longer than 5mm.

Keep candle out of draft: The candle will burn in odd, unbalanced ways if in a draft. Drafts can be caused by many things, some of which you won’t even feel yourself and will only become aware of by the candle flickering. Open windows & doors; rising heat from cooking, hot bath water; a fireplace – open or combustion; the movement of passing people or pets; air-conditioning.

If the candle is burning black smoke: either the wick is too long, or there is too much essential oil and the top and centre of the candle.

Ensure the wick is no longer than 5mm.

Hand-crafting scented candles is an inexact science and each candle is slightly different. On occasion, a little essential scented oil may settle and set into the top of the candle (our candles are made upside-down to ensure a smooth finish on top). If trimming the wick has not helped and you think this latter may be the case, burn candle outside long enough to melt a pool of wax at least half the diameter, extinguish the flame, tip out the melted wax, and re-light. If this does not solve the problem, please contact us.

To make candles burn down the middle, leaving a wax shell: burn candle almost to the edge, then blow out and leave to reset. Repeat. The candle will now burn inwards.

To keep wick straight & prevent it ‘drowning’ in the melted wax: In the past, lead was used to keep the wick straight. This was banned over 20 years ago. Consequently the cotton wick will naturally curl as it burns, ultimately ‘drowning’ in the melted wax.

To avoid the wick curling and drowning in melted wax, observe regularly to see if this is occurring. If so, extinguish candle, when cool, pinch or cut the blackened wick off, use some of the melted wax to gently pull the wick straight, if necessary, tip out a very small amount of wax. Re-light. Repeat as necessary.

At end of burn, ensure wick is upright, free of melted wax, and trim

Wax Removal: This is very difficult and often, no matter what you try, you may be left with at least a slight mark on your clothes, furniture, floorings. The best plan is to avoid spillage at all costs by not walking around with a lit candle; taking care to gently extinguish candle with a candle snuffer rather than blowing it out. If you do blow it out, do so very gently & slowly.

Boiling hot water is best to remove spilled wax from cupboards, clothing etc. If wax is on carpet, or lounge, soften wax with warm water and use a paper towel to lift off the soft wax. When as much wax as possible has been removed, place wax paper over and iron with low dry heat very gently.

Wax stain from dyes is much harder to get out – try eucalyptus oil.

More advice on candle care and wax removal can be found at the following websites:-